Robert J. Paul, born September 11, 1944, in Cleveland, passed away peacefully on Saturday evening, September 19, 2026, in the company of his youngest son, Adam, playing guitar.

Bob was the middle child of three, older brother Mike by 21 months and younger sister Maureen by 13 months. Each born in a different city due to their father's job with the FBI. The family lived in Evanston until '54 when they moved to Middleton because their father was transferred by Oscar Mayer Chicago after working two years with the company as a night foreman.

In Middleton they attended St. Bernards Parish grade school through 8th grade. Unlike his brother and sister who went on to attend Edgewood, Bob went to Queen of Apostles Seminary through high school and two years of junior college. He was valedictorian of both his high school and junior college classes.

Bob lived in Washington DC from '66-'73. He attended Catholic University '66-'68, studied Theology his first year then changed to Religious Studies after he dropped out of the seminary, obtaining his master’s degree in '68. While teaching religious studies for 2.5 years at Immaculate Conception High School, he attended George Washington Law School in the evening. Following law school and before returning to Madison, he worked 1.5 years as a bailiff and courtroom clerk for a judge in the DC Superior Court. He returned to Madison where after a three-week safari in Africa, he began working as an Assistant State Appellate Public Defender till 1980. He held an aldermanic seat on the Middleton city council from '76-'79.

In '77 Bob met his wife, Katie, through a close friend on the City of Middleton Plan Commission. They moved in together, along with Katie's 4-year-old son, Neal Sullivan, in '79 when Bob bought a house. Together they moved to a house on Lake Mendota in '83 and got married there soon after. Their son, Adam, was born in 1985.

After leaving the Public Defender, Bob went on to work a few years for Wisconsin Legal Action, before becoming the Chief Legal Counsel for the Department of Public Instruction.

Bob lost his wife in 2006. Katie was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer in the spring of 2001 and battled for five years before passing away in September of '06. She was a public health nurse who worked for the Dane County Public Health Department.

When he wasn't lawyering or fixing things Katie told him to, you could find him in the ditch of a farm field hunting geese, on the side of a pond or on a river chasing ducks, in the woods calling turkeys, walking the prairies flushing pheasants, on a pier or lake fishing, reading a book or doing a crossword puzzle.

He was a great man, and we will continue to celebrate him. His legacy lives on through sons, Neal (52) and Adam (41); grandson, Nelson (21); and granddaughter, Phoenix (11).

There is no immediate ceremony being held, but there will be one eventually. Revisit https://robertjamespaul.com/ for updates. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson West

Funeral & Cremation Care

7435 University Ave.

(608) 831-6761

Robert J Paul

September 11, 1944 - September 19, 2026

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